Back bracer



June` 30, 1925.

A. J. LA VIGNE BACK BRACER Filed Decr. 4. 1924 ATTORNEYS Patented .lune 3U, i925.

ALFRED J. `LA VIGNE, 0F VILWAUKEE, WSCONSN.

' BACK BRACER.

Application filed December 4, i924, Serial No. 758,949.

To @ZZ @1.7mm t may concer/1i Be it known that l, ALFRED J. LA VIGNE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of ldilwaukee and State of lVisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Back Bracers, of which the following is a specification.

rMy invention relates to improvements in appliances which are adapted to be secured on the body of a wearer to bracci a portion of the body, andit consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed. y

in object of the invention is to provide a simple, easily applied andreliable harness which will prevent strain of the back muscles of a wearer when ythe wearer stoops, as in picking objects from' position on or near the ground.

A further object of the invention is the provision'of a harness of the character described which is adjustable for application to wearer-s of different sizes and to vary the resistance to the stresses which are set up when the wearer bends from upright position to a stooping position. j

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a harnessof the character described wnich is adapted tov distribute the stresses which otherwise would be placedon the back muscles when the wearer thereof bends over to the stronger muscles of the body, such as the shoulders and leg muscles, wherebywthe wearer of the harness will not feel any appreciable fatigue after ,bending over repeatedly during the performance of a` givenv work.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a. harness of the character described which comprises separable parts which can be replaced quickly and easily at a slight cost when required.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a rear view showing the harness in applied position on a wearer.

Figure 2 is a front view of the wearer and harness.

Figure 3 is a relatively enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the waist encircling strap and the hip encircling strap and showing portions of the elements which are associated with said straps,

Figure 4 is an edge view of a shoulder pad and associated elements of the harness.

A harness embodying the invent-ion comprises a pair of shoulder pads l, a waist encircling strap or belt 2,k a pair of hip encircling straps 3, and a pair of leg encircling straps 4. The straps 2, 3 and 4 are adjustable in an ordinary manner within limits as to size as by each having an end portion thereof provided with a series of apertures and having the other end portion provided with a buckle for engaging with the apertured end portions.

The hip encircling straps 3 are connected toreach other and to the waist encircling strap by a connecting strap 5 which is secured adjacent to one of its ends by rivets 6 or like fastening devices to the straps 3 intermediate the ends of the lat-ter, the other end portion ofthe strap 5 being'adjustably engageable with a buckle 7' which is carried by the waist encircling belt intermediate its ends. lith this arrangement, the connecting strap 5 will be disposed at the back of the wearer.

The leg encircling straps 4 are adapted to be secured in encircling relation to the legs of a. wearer just below the knees. A pair of flexible resilient members which may 'be elongated coiled springs as indicated at 8 are flexibly attached at their upper ends to the waist encircling strap 2 at opposite. sides of the buckle 7 and extend downwardly along the backs of the legs of the wearer between the hip encircling straps 3 and the legs of the wearer nearly to the level of the knees of lthe wearer when the wearer is standin-g erect.v Straps l0 adjustably and flexibly connect, the elongated spring members 8 at their lower ends to the leg bands 4 at the backs of the legs ,of the wearer. The rearward end portions of the shoulder pads l are adjustably connected together by coengaging flexible tie members ll and the front portions of the shoulder straps likewise are connected by a flexible. tie element l2. A pair .of flexible resilient rear suspender elements having the form of coiled springs is provided foi1 connecting the rearward end portions of the shoulder pads to the back portion of the waist encircling strap. llhe rear suspender members are indica-ted at 13 and each is attached at its lower end to the strap 2 as at 14 and at its upper end adjustably to the porti-on of one of the shoulder straps which overlies the and the corresponding end portions of these.

rear suspender members diverge apart from their intermediate connected portionsv toward their opposite ends. The upper end portions of the rear suspender members 13 extend through guide rings 16 which are carried by the rearward portions of the shoulderV ads. Y p The forward end portions ofthe shoulder pads are connected by front fieXible resilient suspension members 1T. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings,

each front suspension member comprises aV pair of elongated coiled springs connected at its lower end to a ring 18 on the upper of the two hip encircling straps 3' and adjustably connected at its 'upper end by a strap `19 to one of the shoulder pads 1, each pair 'of front suspension springs vextending st aight downward at the front of the body of the wearer and one of said spring members extending through a guide ring 2O carried by the front end portion of the shoulder pad with which that particular front suspension spring is associated. f

From the foregoing decription of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood'. The wearer of the harness may bend over or stoop during the performance of a given work, such as picking onions, strawberries, potatoes or like agricultural work without subjecting the muscles of the back to' any appreciable strain. The use of the Ydevice therefore tends to prevent fatigue,

Any part of the device may be replaced at a slightcost` without Vthere being any necessity of replacing the remaining parts of the device. f

I claim s l. An appliance of the character described comprising a pair of shoulder pads, a waist encircling strap, a hip encircling strap, tensi-onspring means connecting the rearward ends of said shoulder pads to said waist encircling strap, and other tensioning `means connecting the forward ends of said shoulder pads to said hip encircling strap.

2. An appliance of the character described comprising a pair of shoulder pads, a waist encircling strap, a hip encircling strap, tension spring means connectingthe rearward ends of said shoulder pads to said waist e11- circling strap, other tension means connect ing the forward ends of said shoulder pads to said hip encircling strap, and flexible means connecting said waist encircling strap and said hip encircling strap.

3. An appliance of the'character described comprising a pair of shoulder pads, a waist encircling strap, a hip encircling strap, tension springmeans connecting the rearward ends of said shoulder pads to said waist encircling stra-p, other tension means connecting the forward ends of said shoulder )ads to said hip encircling strap, a pair o leg encircling straps, and tension spring means extending at the backs of saidl legs and connecting said waistencircling strap to the backportions of said leg encirclingstraps.

4. A harness of the character described comprising a pair of shoulder pads, a waist encircling strap, aV pair of hip encircling straps, a pair of leg encircling straps, a pair of elongated tension spring `members connected at their lower ends to said waist encircling straps at the back of the body of a wearer, and adjustably connected at their upper ends to said shoulder pads, a pair of other back spring connectors attached at their upper ends to the back portion of said waist :encircling strap and extending between said hip encircling strapand the body of a wearer along the back portions of the legs of the wearer, said last named spring members being adjustably connected at their lower ends to the back portions of said leg encircling straps, and front tension spring suspension members adjustably connected at their upper ends to said shoulder pads and flexibly connected at their lower ends to` said hip encircling strap at the front of the body yof the wearer.

ALFRED J. LA VIGNE. 

